Process for converting oil



G. EGLOFF ET AL PROCESS FOR CONVERTING OIL June 24, 1930.

Original Filed Sept. l, 1920 2 Sheets-Seet June 24, 1930.

Y G. EGLOFF ET A2,.

PROCESS FOR comm-mm2 original Filed sepfi.

2 Sheets-Sheet Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GUSTAV EGLOFF AND HARRY P. BENNER, OF CHICAGO,Y ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS T 'Il'NIIVIRSAII.y OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY,

OF SOUTH DAKOTA OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION :PROCESS FOR CONVERTING OIL Application led September 1, 1920, Serial No. 407,406. Renewed March 18, 1929.

This invention relates to improvements in a process for treating oil and refers more particularly to a process adapted for the use in simultaneous cracking-and dehydration of I emulsitied petroleum oils at atmospheric pressure.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel process for dehydrating and cracking yemulsilied oil under pressure While at the same time preventing local overheating of any part of the apparatus.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a View partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section of our improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the still member proper on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the lirebox provided with a stack, 2. In this lirebox is mounted a double still member consisting of a lower shell, 3, and an upper shell, 4. The shell member, 3, is provided at either end with a circumferentially extending gear, 5, supported on a trunnion, 6, carried by a standard, 7 At one end the shell member,

3, is provided with a driving shaft, 8, and

driving pulley, 9, connected to any suitable source of power (not shown). The upper still shell member, 4, is provided at either end With a cireumferentially extending gear, 10,

Which meshes by means of intermediate gear,

11, with the corresponding gear member, 5.

The arrangement is such that the shell members, 3 and 4, are rotated in opposite directions. It is to be understood that the shell members are supported yin suitable guides (not shown) to prevent lateral displacement.

Each shell member is open at one end to connect With a cap portion or stationary shell member, 12, and the rotating parts of the still are connected to the stationary parts through the ground joints, 13, or other suitable rotatable connections. The oil to be treated is charged by means of pump, 14, and line, 15, to the stationary part, 12, of the lower shell member, 3. Each of the stationary parts, 12, is provided with a residue drawoff, 16,con trolled by valve, 17. The vapors generated in the lower shell member, 3, pass to the upper shell member, 4, by means of the pipe connec- 50 tion, 18, connected to the'station'ary members,

1 2, and preferably provided with an extension, 19, projecting into the body of the upper rotating member, 4.

The vapors pass out of the upper stationary part, 12, through line, 20, to condenser coil, .21, and thence to receiver, 22. If desired, the valve, 23, may be interposed in the line 20. The oil is subjected to surface distillation in the shell, 3, by means of a pair of burners, 25, arranged at opposite sides of the upper part of the shell, 3, and extending longitudinally alongside of the latter. The inner faces of the burners, 25, are slotted to distribute the heat equally over the entire length ofthe still or shell, 3. These burners, 25, are arranged at or above the liquid level in the shell, 3, so as to primarily heatthe upper surface of the oil charge and produce surface distillation, thus preventing foaming of the emulsiiied oil in the still. shell member, 4, is heated' by similar burners, 25, extending along opposite sides of the shell member, 4, the arrangement being such as to superheat the vapors in this shell member, 4.

It is also to be noted that the shell members are independentlyl heated. It is, therefore, possible to heat the emulsified oil in the lower shell member at a temperature sufficient to dehydrate the oil` and gradually fraetionally distill the oil.vvhile at the Same time maintaining the temperature suhciently lovv to prevent undue heating of the emulsified nii Which would cause foaming'. By independH ently heating the upper still member, the pors themselves can be superheated to such, temperature as to produce substantial cra ing of the oil vapors thereof. For exai e., if the process is carried out atpressure the oil in the lower still member might be subjected to surface distillation at ,a temperature of from 450O F. to 7500 F., while the vapors in' the upper still member mig .t be heated at temperature of 800 F. to 1200O A pressure of pounds upwardly may be maintained on the apparatus by suitably regulating the valve, 25', interposed in liquid dravvoil line, 20, and the valve, 27,-interposed in the gas outlet, 28. A. differential pressure may be maintained on the system by properly regulating the valves, 23, 25a and 27.

The upper lso By means of this process an emulsiiied California petroleum oil containing 20 per cent of Water may not only be eectivelydehydrated, but its content of light hydrocarbons may be substantially increased; for eX- ample, 25 per centof the oil content or of the original charge may be converted into gasolene and 2O per cent or more of the original oil content converted into kerosene.

We claim as our invention: l. The process of treating petroleum oil, comprising subjecting a body of oil While in motion to surface distillation, in removing the vapors and subjecting them While in a moving receptacle to an increased tempera.- ture sufficient to effectively crack the same, in condensing and collecting the vapors, and in maintaining a vapor pressure on the oil and vapors during the heat treatment.

2. The process of dehydrating and cracking-emulsified petroleum oil, comprising subj ecting a body of oil while in motion to surface distillation, in removing the vapors and subjecting them While in a moving receptacle to an increased temperature to crack the same` in condensing and collecting the vapors, and in maintaining a vapor pressure on the oil and vapors during distillation.

3. A process of treating petroleum oils consisting in subjecting a body of oil While in motion, to surface distillation by external heating, removing the vapors and subjecting them While in a moving receptacle to an increased temperature suiiicient to effectively crack the same, in condensing land collecting the vapors, and in maintaining a superatmos-- pheric vapor pressure on the oil and vapors during the heat treatment.

4. A process of treating emulsied oil consisting in subjecting a body of oil, While in a rotary container, to surface distillation by external heating to cause substantial vaporlzation, removing the vapors and subjecting them to an increased temperaturesuiicient to crack the samefcondensing the vapors and collecting the distillate, and maintaining `a superatmospheric pressure on the oil and va pors under treatment.

5. A process for treating emulsilied oil consisting in subjecting a body of oil while in a rotary container to surface distillation by eX- ternal heating to prevent foaming thereof While undergoing treatmentand to cause substantial vaporization, removing the vapors and subjecting them to a rotary motion at an increased temperature suiicient to effectively crack the same, in condensing and collecting the vapors, and in maintaining a superatn'fospheric pressure on the oil and vapors under heat treatment.

6. A process of treating petroleum oils comprising subjecting a body of oil While in motion to surface distillation by external heating, removing the vapors, from the zone in which they are generated and subjecting the same in an independent zone to an increased temperature suiiicient to effectively crack them, subsequently condensing the vapors and collecting the resulting distillate.`

7. A process for treating petroleum oil comprising sub'ecting a body of oil While in motiiu to sur ace distillation by external heating, removingthe vapors from the zone wherein they are generated and subjecting the saine While travelling through an elongated enlarged zone at relatively sloW velocity to an increased temperature adequate to effect substantial cracking thereof, condensing the vapors and collecting the resulting distillate. 8. A process for treating petroleum oil comprising sub'ecting a body of oil While in motion to sur ace distillati in by external heating, removing the vapors from the zone wherein they are generated and subjecting the same While travelling through an elonity to an increased temperature adequate to effect substantial cracking thereof, condensing the vapors and collecting the resulting '.-l

vapors during if 85 i gated enlarged zone at rclatlvely slow veloc: l 

